Is there a conspiracy against Christian art? Do atheistic gatekeepers conspire to suppress the Christian message and keep it from mainstream 
audiences? Are Christian artists unjustly targeted for censure in ways that others aren’t? Is there a double standard in the marketplace when it comes to religious and “secular” (or anti-religious) rhetoric? Is “agenda” just as prevalent in the general market as the religious market?
Or are Christians full of it?
It is not uncommon to hear “horror stories” from Christian artists about what they feel is discrimination. I recently received a comment from someone who referenced two Christian authors, both of whom were asked by general market publishers to remove explicit Christian content from their stories. They refused. Result: Goodbye general market. Do things like this really happen and, if so, what say you about it?
Nevertheless, even if there is a conspiracy against Christian art, it does us little good to complain about it. In fact, the conspiracy may be one of our own making.
Barbara Nicolosi founded Act One, a program to train screenwriters and Hollywood executives to produce quality films that connect with audiences of faith. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, she made these observations:
“Honestly, I didn’t start out to fix Hollywood,” said Nicolosi, who has a master’s degree in film from Northwestern University. “I started out to fix the church in the arts.”
After two years of “reading hundreds and hundreds of horrible scripts” at a Catholic movie production company, Nicolosi concluded that Christian screenwriters were their own worst enemies.
“They had nothing but arrogance and ignorance, and self-righteousness to boot,” the outspoken Nicolosi said. “They were screaming about how Hollywood was persecuting Christians. I realized Christians were not being martyred in Hollywood; they were committing suicide.
“We were being embarrassed by Christians who were writing works that were substandard and saying the Holy Spirit inspired them to do it.”
Christians commonly assume that the secular media is out to silence them. The perception that publishers, celebrities and Hollywood execs are anti-Christian is status-quo in many faith communities. Which makes Ms. Nicolosi’s opinion all the more interesting.
I’m not one to cede conspiracies, but I happen to believe that positive religious themes and traditional values do not get a fair shake on prime time. But does this justify our belly-aching? In this way, Nicolosi’s observations are helpful. In fact, I wonder that most Christian artists would be better off — even if they believed a conspiracy was alive and well — by acting as if it were NOT true.
Let’s face it — it’s much easier to pin the lack of “Christian witness” on the presence of atheistic gatekeepers, rather than the absence of a quality product. And Hollyweird is an easy scapegoat. But, according to Nicolosi, the absence of a “Christian presence” in the arts may have less to do with a conspiracy, and more to do with mediocrity.
Could it really be that “Christians [are] not being martyred in Hollywood; they [are] committing suicide”? The same could be asked of Christian artists in any field — music, literature, theater. Have we deceived ourselves into believing we are not at fault? Are we too eager to blame our “bad fortune” on the godless gatekeepers? Are we “writing works that [are] substandard and saying the Holy Spirit inspired [us] to do it”?
How one answers those questions is important. The person who’s convinced the system has it out for him, will often spend as much time bitching as working to improve his craft. Perhaps it’s time for a tactical adjustment. Instead of fretting over some satanic cabal, we should strive to produce the highest quality art possible.
* * *
Question: Do you think there is a “conspiracy” against Christian art? Do you think there is a double-standard in the media toward religious-themed work? Or do you believe, like Ms. Nicolosi suggests, that we commit “artistic suicide” and worry far too much about conspiracy and not enough about quality?
I don’t think there’s a conspiracy but there is a slight bias against Christian filmmaking. But the bias is mostly justified because Christianized filmmaking is didactically bad. So, really, is the bias against the belief system or the bad art? Probably the latter.
And Mike, as someone of the same sentiment, you know this is coming from someone who isn’t on the “bash the Church” bandwagon. 😉
Combination of issues, Mike.
Too many Christians don’t understand how art works, even without overt altar-call-style evangelism, because they fail to grasp God’s sovereignty and many other Biblical truths about how He reaches people in many ways through our spiritual gifts and vocations. Christians can also be arrogant and have a persecution complex — thinking it’s My Faith that brings sneering and ridicule, rather than the fact that I’m just a jerk.
Meanwhile, many nonbelievers also detest Christ-honoring truth, no matter how graciously it’s said or well-made the artwork is. For a non-art example, witness Joel Osteen (I’m no fan of his) on CNN the other night, cajoled into saying that yes, he believed homosexuality was a sin based on the Bible, but, he wasn’t here to judge, etc. No professing Christian could have been nicer and more pleasant while saying that, and yet look what happened: he was vilified, called to recant, by people who we know for sure are nonbelievers, for the even brief truth that was included in his interview response.
Who started the cycle: the hateful pagans or the arrogant, uncreative Christians? Overall it doesn’t matter. Persecuting pagans are only doing what they know how; their main problem is with God, not Christians. But those professing to believe in Christ should be imitating him better, not only in their humility but in their creative endeavors that should imitate God as Creator and echo His glory through their artistic achievements.
It’s not like I’ve got my finger on the pulse of art and Christian endeavor, but from my experience I’d agree the problem is less conspiracy and more mediocrity. Sincerity and good intentions are nice, but they aren’t the equivalent of honed skills and quality product.
Also, a novel, or a film, or whatever, isn’t a sermon. Critical distinction, right there, as too often the mandate to get the Word out is misinterpreted, with Christians failing to understand the medium they are working with. Art operates on different levels and has hugely different aims. Not every task is a megaphone moment we’re going to be graded on.
Now this might sound like an LSD flashback, but Christians are supposed to be infused with the spirit of our supernatural redemption no matter where we go and what we do. Whether it’s obvious in the end product or simply the catalyst for it’s creation, it should be present because we’re there. (Or rather He’s there.)
In the end, all of testifies to the reality of a creative, redemptive God.
Patrick, I’m going to disagree with the last part of your comment. Stephen, just above yours, pointed out that Christians can be jerks. What’s to keep the jerkiness from being that which infuses our work?
Just because we’re Christians, does not mean our writing will automatically be infused by the Holy Spirit. It can be infused with our sinful pride or our greed or any number of other things we struggle with. Unless we do something about crafting our stories to glorify God instead.
I hope this makes some sense. I’ve written often about the need to craft themes carefully. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but I think it’s important to say, there aren’t two choices — bad didactic fiction and good entertaining fiction with no message. The third alternative is actually what all Great fiction has — a well crafted theme to go along with well crafted characters, plot, and setting.
Becky
“…there aren’t two choices — bad didactic fiction and good entertaining fiction with no message.” Becky, I very much agree with this. Well said!
LOL. Becky, I did qualify the statement with the phrase “supposed to be”.
I’d love to see followers of Christ “put their money where their mouth is.” I hear many Christian parents complain that there is nothing on TV or in film currently, for their family to view. At the same time, there are those saying “Don’t support Hollywood in any way.”
If we are to be salt and light, why aren’t local churches supporting the production of films that would share the Gospel, just as a local body supports a missionary? I believe every way, any way, is the only way to share Christ.
I really like this post. I have to admit that I’ve sometimes felt guilty for not reading the Christian literature that’s out there, but for the most part, I just don’t like it. It doesn’t connect to me in the way that mainstream writers do… and not for lack of common ground. It’s a lack of good writing.
Couldn’t agree more, except I stopped feeling guilty about it.
Hi Mike! I loved your post on Rachelle’s blog today and now I’m about to go order “The Resurrection”… sounds great. I’m a HUGE fan of Ted Dekker and (correct me if I”m wrong) your stuff sounds similar in genre to his. Good luck with it!
As far as Christian art, my answer is yes and no. I think for so long, the art world was centered around Christian themes so people tend to immediately consider religious themes as stale. SO, I think it’s harder for Christian artists to get recognition. That said, there are many creative Christian artists who I love so it’s not a universal bias.
Good luck with your book!
Erin
Seriously, I don’t think Christians suck anymore than anybody else. But perhaps the best ones are already in Hollywood or making films. Some of the best movies I’ve ever seen have Christian themes. Two of my favorites are The Merry Gentlemen and Children of Men.
The problem, I think, with crusaders, is that they lack focus. They want to write stories about big issue topics–stories with themes, instead of allowing the themes to naturally emerge from the interaction between the characters or the obstacles they face. Crusaders are action-oriented, as well, which means they might be too impatient to sit still and learn the art of story-telling. I’m also willing to guess that crusaders are attracted to programs like Act One–a Hollywood soapbox for people of faith?! Except most people don’t want to watch somebody on a soapbox. They want stories that entertain/emote/ignite debate.
What kind of scripts do you think a program to integrate female studies into Hollywood would attract? Probably really awful, soapbox diatribes.
Art must have focus.
Jill, I think “Children of Men” is a fine example of a very “Christian” theme in a non-preachy movie. Act One is Barbra Nicolosi’s program and very much NOT crusader oriented. However, I think the point you make about crusaders is a good way to look at it. Perhaps we have formed our perception of Christian art based on a “crusader mentality,” not so much art. Thanks for your comments!
As someone who has been working in the mainstream media for 28 years I can honestly and without complaining say that Biblical Christians are in deed kept out of the loop. Jesus said if you love me they’ll hate you so what’s the big deal? We’ve been told this would happen so there’s no use whining about it. My goal it two fold – make money to provide for my family and share Jesus Christ with the lost. We are not called to change the world but to reach the lost. If Christian artists have to stay in their own camp then so be it. At least the good ones will be building up the body of Christ and then when they are fed they will go feed other.
As for Ms. Nicolosi, I don’t think Catholicism is a good litness test for what goes on in Biblical Christianity. They’re in a camp all by themselves. The world doesn’t need religion, it needs Truth.
Steve, I agree the world needs truth, but Christian artists ghettoing in their own camp is counter-productive. Salt has to get out of the saltshaker to be effective. Also, reproach isn’t an excuse to add to the already large body of ‘pious trash’ that’s passed off as Christian art. Shouldn’t excellence be the mark of Christian endeavor?
I mean nothing discredits a good idea faster than a poor application. We and the message might not be liked, but if we’re entering the open marketplace of ideas, it’s vital to uphold a standard of genuine quality.
Steve, thanks for commenting. I’m not as averse to Catholicism as you seem to be, which is why I have no problem quoting Nicolosi. Her work in cinema is quite informed, you should give her another chance.
I’ll admit, I think Christians throw out the “persecution” card way too easily when it comes to this subject. Yes, Jesus said the world would hate us. But He was also a friend of sinners, so much that He was maligned by the very religious for hanging out with a scummy crowd. Furthermore, we are told to be wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. I think some of this relates to the tact we take with the world. Trumpeting our beliefs everywhere we go may be perceived by some as being faithful witnesses. However, we should consider that that approach may, in the end, insulate us against the very people Christ died for.
Patrick,
I’m in no way saying that Christians should stay in their own camp. (Kind of hard to do when you’re only 3% of the population.) We need to reach out to the lost and there are many ways to send the same message. Books and movies are a fantastic way of reaching the lost. We need to continue writing books the world would enjoy without compromising our message. It takes readers to get these books into their hands. Give them away. loan them out… whatever it takes. As for Christian movies they still are not up to par with what Hollywood was making 80 years ago. Why? I do not understand. I watched “The Trail” the other night and although not too bad for a movie done by Christians it was still couldn’t hold a candle to “Witness For The Prosecution” that was made in 1957. We need to get our movie standards up.
Mike,
Sorry but most Christians are unaware of Catholisim and what it teaches. I spent 23 in it and after becoming a Christian I spent years teaching Christians the truth about Catholisism and how to reach them with the Gospel. There are many books on the subject, from them and about them, and I suggest reading up on it. Most Christians are shocked when they find out what they believe.
You are right when you say we need to befriend unbelievers. We need to love them in order to gain an audience with them. But my point still stands. They will persecute us because they do not know Him. I’m fine with that and therefore do not complain about it. There are many ways to share the Gospel with the lost. I give and loan out a lot of books. Most of them are very well recieved. Even the evolution debate gets them thinking that maybe they didn’t come from apes.
Pray and do what God has called you to do. If it’s to write, then write. To make movies then make great movies. Teach then teach with conviction. Whatever it is do it as unto the Lord and give it your best.
I am continually amazed that a number of American Christians think that we (as in the people who live in this country) are somehow exempt from persecution. While I agree that we frequently expect that by saying “God called me to write this” and sometimes expect to get published no matter if we work hard on our manuscript or expect God to do the editing in the eyes of an editor, Satan is STILL against us.
All but one of the apostles was martyred and dying because you choose to follow Christ is still an expectation in many countries. “Suffering” for our faith here is definitely NOT an expectation (or even a whisp of a thought of a possibility) here.
That said, I agree with Ms. Nicolosi 100% (and I have a copy of STARSHIP EGLESIA, APOSTLE FROM SPACE and EMPYRION I & II to prove it…absolutely hideous writing and story lines).
I saw your post on Rachelle’s site. Your book looks intriguing. I am looking forward to reading it.
“Do you think there is a ‘conspiracy’ against Christian art? Do you think there is a double-standard in the media toward religious-themed work? Or do you believe, like Ms. Nicolosi suggests, that we commit ‘artistic suicide’ and worry far too much about conspiracy and not enough about quality?”
I think there’s a general media bias against Christianity and because of that with some media representatives, who seem to have a real hate going on for Christians, there will be a double-standard in judging the work/art of Christians. Having said that, I do believe that Nicolosi “was” correct, but I think it only stood out because of the smaller number percentage-wise of participants. We’ve all viewed some of the non-Christian tripe Hollywood continues to produce. NOW, if Christians submit inferior material, they have no excuse precisely because of the availability of programs like Act One.
I’m sure beginners in the arts allow their zeal to overcome their patience in taking the time to learn the craft, to persevere, and to produce quality according to the audience they seek to entertain.
Seriously, there may be some small pockets of “conspiracy” against Christians in any of the arts because of a (unknown to them) spiritual resistance to display or portray anything that acknowledges God. Some actors and producers who’ve “crossed over” into Christianity have experienced the prejudice and persecution but find ways around it because of their talent and ingenuity.
Both.
Christianity is hated and Christian have been guilty of putting out bad art.
However, it should be noted that many other people put out bad art, too, and no one really cares. But nonChristians are often slammed for their moral messages just as Christians are. So I think the quality of the art is one problem. But I think the defensiveness that arises when people feel judged, is a bigger problem.
The author of Sisters Red, is not a Christian as far as I know. But look at the response she got for suggesting that women who dress enticingly are not very smart. She wasn’t saying that women deserved to be raped. She wasn’t saying that rapist were not at fault because the women enticed them. It sounded to me like she was saying that if there’s a rapist in the neighborhood and you know it, you probably shouldn’t go out to pick up the paper wearing just your bra and underwear.
She was so ripped in the book review and the comments.
We live in a society where we believe anything we want to do, we should do and no one should criticize us and it’s always someone else’s fault if something goes wrong and the government should make it all better.
It’s an entitlement mentality. Everyone is entitled to do whatever they want as long as they never criticize a liberal feminist. 🙂
But I totally agree with you. Why should we react when we are persecuted? We are to love those who curse us.
Here’s another good example of opinions that unbelievers have with Christian books. Amazon sometimes places Christian novels on their free Kindle list and people snag them up because they sound good (and they are free). Read the one star reviews and tell me they give “Rooms” an honest shake.
http://www.amazon.com/Rooms-Novel-James-L-Rubart/dp/0805448888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296871706&sr=1-1
Steve, I totally agree with you about some of these reviewers not giving Christian novels a fair shake. But why must that automatically infer a conspiracy? Why couldn’t it indicate a need on our part to be more savvy or write better (and this is NOT to suggest that Rubart’s novel is not well-written). I personally don’t have a problem admitting both are true: there IS a bias against Christians (specifically) and religion (generally) in the media AND some of that is brought on by Christians’ approach and content.
Mike, I don’t think it’s a conspiracy; it’s just the way it is. If it were a real conspiracy then there would probably be an organization behind it asking all their members to write a negative, anti-Christian review of the book. I’m sure that didn’t happen. Since our battle is spiritual, Satan conspires against us but in most cases the people are just his pawns. Are there real conspiracies? I’m sure there are but most are not. In the case of “Rooms”, it is not.
Sally, I agree heartily with you. It is both.
I watched first hand while my daughter struggled to make a living in the secular world of movies. (She’s a casting director.) When she was vocal about being a Christian, and didn’t fall into the lifestyle, those who were not Christians circulated lies about her which effectively black-balled her in the industry. She landed fewer and fewer jobs even though her performance reputation was exemplary.
On the other hand, I have reviewed hundreds of Christian books and only about 20% are worthy to read cover to cover. If a book’s first chapter is bad, I know it won’t get any better. If a book’s plot is easily discernible within the first 3-4 chapters, what’s the point in plowing through the rest?
But my question for this is who is at fault? Wouldn’t editors and publishers have most of the blame on their own plate because they served up the atrocity in the first place?
Maybe it is the readers’ fault because they buy the atrocities. Why would editors and publishers churn out the atrocities if they weren’t making money at it? (BTW Mike, I agree with your post at Rachelle’s).
A lot of people think I’m too harsh as a reviewer, but if someone doesn’t hold Christian art to a higher standard, then we’ll keep getting the same cold dish forever.
I appreciate your candor, Gina. You may be interested (if you haven’t already seen it), Braveheart screenwriter and film director Randall Wallace giving the keynote at last week’s National Prayer Breakfast. It’s long but it is quite inspirational. Those who think Christians are blacklisted in Hollywood should watch this. Thanks, Gina!
Thank you, Mike. That is very inspirational :>
I believe one of the problems may be that we have a tendency to put labels on things. We call ourselves – not me – Christians, our faith Christian, our art Christian, etc. By doing so we limit ourselves and Christ in us by thinking we have to conform to a certain way, act in a certain way, write or create in a certain way. This causes others who are possibly outside our particular belief to react to us in a manner they might otherwise not have. Using the salt of the earth anology, the salt doesn’t define itself in any way nor make judgements on who or what accepts/rejects it. It just is. And when it is, interesting, changing things happen.
Gina, if that’s a fair percentage and I’m not saying it isn’t according to your opinion and skills, I still have to ask what percentage in the general market is viable fiction according to that same standard? What percentage in the general market isn’t “predictable” and formulaic according to its genre?
There’s junk out there in both markets, and being that the CBA market is smaller, I think the percentages of junk are closer to equal. I’ve said before and I still feel the professionals in publishing are out of touch with a large portion of the reading public–at least in CBA.
Nicole, I’m reluctant to use the “percentage” argument to justify bad Christian art. Just because there’s “junk out there in both markets” is not a pass for our “junk.” In a way, I think we Christians should bring a standard of excellence that surpasses that of “the world.” So while I disagree with the charge that most Christian art is schlock, I heartily believe we should be held to a higher standard. Thanks for your comments!
Hi Nicole!
I read 5-6 books a month, and right now I have 81 books on stacked around my dresser, on shelves and on my night stand. Of those 81, 12 of them are non-fiction. That leaves 69 Christian Fiction of all different genres from fluffy romance, sci-fi, to suspense and everything in between. Out of 69 fiction, only 12 were well written, story line was complete, believable plot and well developed characters. The 12 include Ted Dekker, Bob Lipualo, Lisa Wingate, Robin Hatcher. The rest are all brand new, first time published. All come from established publishing houses and none were self-published.
That’s only 17% for the year 2010. The problem is there are far more than 81 books published in a year, but it is a fair amount and is a cross section of Christian Fiction.
What ever survey you take, you’ll always have 3%-5% +/- , therefore the 20% figure. While this is not a scientifically conducted survey, it is however very random, and I do get to choose which books I review.
I assure you I do not at all choose books that I think will be boring or poorly written. Therefore, the figure of well-written, and beautifully edited books should be much higher. I always have high hopes for each book, it is just that the majority of the time, I am disappointed.
This is why I question whether the fault actually lies with the editors and publishers.
Absolutely, we Christians should be held to a much higher standard than the secular market.
I’m not using the percentage argument to “justify bad Christian art”. I’m saying it’s pointless to accuse Christian art of being “worse” than secular “art”. I agree that anyone who desires to create and give glory to God in the process should hold themselves to that honor and privilege. But I find it also pointless to think that surpassing “the world” will be acknowledged by the world or anyone else who has a bias against “religious” art. But that doesn’t negate the purpose and importance of holding ourselves to a higher standard.
But bad Christian art IS worse than bad secular art if we are held to a higher standard. A painting commissioned by the President SHOULD be better than one commissioned by a first grade teacher. And while I agree there IS a bias against Christian art, I disagree that it’s pointless to expect the world to acknowledge quality. Good art is not entirely subjective (a point I think you and I disagree on). A well-written book is a well-written book, whether it is written by a Christian or a Satanist. Appreciate your thoughts, Nicole.
“Good art is not entirely subjective… A well-written book is a well-written book, whether it is written by a Christian or a Satanist. ”
I’ll second that notion.
Wasn’t it Mark Twain who said “Bad poetry is worst of all sincere.”? As Christian artists, as human beings even, we can secretly hope the world will extend an olive branch in recognition of our efforts and intentions, but the ultimate goal is to hear Jesus say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
For me, part of that is holding my work to that higher standard so that regardless of the degree of recognition, I can stand before Him having put my whole heart, mind, soul and strength into the tasks He gave me while it was my turn here.
My .02.
Mike, Thanks for a interesting discussion.
Hi and thanks for the shout out.
I was going to add to the discussion here, but found myself stymied by this comment and the lack of response to it:
“As for Ms. Nicolosi, I don’t think Catholicism is a good litness test for what goes on in Biblical Christianity. ”
What the heck does that mean?! (And I mean more than just the incorrect spelling of litmus.)
Does anybody else appreciate the irony of this kind of bigotry in a discussion which purports to be about why Evangelical Christianity produces such ugly art?
Good grief.
The arguments that I’ve seen here make some valid points concerning the quality of Christian book and movie material; however, there are a few things that I’d like to mention. I seem to be butting heads with people about them quite a lot lately.
By the way, this could be long.
Some Christians seem to have this idea that anything that is “fiction” is not worth their time. When they are presented with a work of fiction, they make arrogant comments such as, “I’m not in pursuit of trivia.” As both an avid reader and especially as a Christian, I find this position to be unfair as well as untrue. It certainly is true that when Jesus was teaching the “saved” he used expository preaching; but when Jesus was trying to reach the “unsaved” multitudes, what was his most common form of teaching? The parable: which by definition is a fictitious earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This appears to be such an obvious point, but over and over again I’ve run into this infuriatingly ignorant mindset that fiction is at best useless if not a sinful waste of time.
In light of the aforementioned, is it really that surprising that Christian artists churn out such mediocre material? Books and movies are mediums that can be used to reach a lost world, but when their very worth is held in derision, what can you do?
I’m an amatuer writer. I want to learn to create great works for the Lord, but it’s unfortunate that to get any kind of training or experience I have to go to the world. This situation isn’t that uncommon. Many of the best of the Christian fiction authors first wrote secular books. For example, I first fell in love with Kathy Tyers’ writing style after reading her secular Star Wars book “The Truce at Bakura.” I did not realize that she was a Christian author until her rewritten Firebird Trilogy was finally published by Bethany House.
Something else that bothers me is that while some of the best Christian books are made into movies, many of the ones that would be more relevant today are over-looked. Is it because of the complexity of the story line or high production costs? I don’t know. What I do know is that “The Personofid Project” by R.E. Bartlett is the Christian alternative that would give Stephenie Meyer’s “The Host” a real run for its money if it were ever to be made into a movie, and “Gossip Girl” couldn’t hold a candle to an updated version of the Christy Miller series. And “Juno”? Well, it would never be able to stand up against Francine Rivers “Atonement Child.” But instead of these what do we get? Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series butchered almost beyond recognition, and other movies that could have been great if the acting was better and/or the story line less disjointed.
Arg! It’s so frustrating. I enjoyed the remake of Pilgrim’s Progress, but instead of this why wasn’t Karen Hancock’s “Arena” done? The moral and teaching of the two stories is virtually the same, but “Arena” would definitely appeal to an unsaved audience.
Okay, my diatribe has been long enough, right?
Basically, the things we need are:
1) A supportive attitude toward Christian Fiction works.
2) A writing school for Christian authors and screenplay writers.
3) The ability to accept real artistic criticism without getting defensive.
4) The wisdom to rationally take a stand when worldly criticism is unfair.
Just my opinion.
AMEN! Preach it, sister 🙂
Naomi,
After reading all the posts on this topic, I believe your post hits home for me the most.
I agree that there is a lot of bad Christian Fiction (I read mostly secular fiction, although I believe Polivka’s Trophy Chase Trilogy was very well done.) and also there is some bias towards Christian arts in general.
The key for me is how do we make Christian Art better? How do we improve our Art and get it beyond mediocre status?
As a beginning novelist myself….that is my big concern! Is my current work-in-progress worth reading or is it bad and do I find the encouragement to continue in order to produce better work in future.
And where do beginners like myself go…in order to produce better work in Christian art?
Good works will always find an audience, Christian or Secular.
Great discussion, though!
Hmm, maybe but that said, mediocrity doesn’t stop secular films being made and books being published, does it?
Which is why, Matt, that we Christian artists should be far above mediocrity. For goodness sakes, God wrote a book that has been a best seller for centuries, and He is can speak through us if we ask Him to which should consign mediocrity to the devil. Why doesn’t it?
Folks, the truth is, fabulous writers are not a dime a dozen.
I may be to late to comment on this very interesting post, but maybe mike will pick it up.
Firstly I would like to direct anyone to an essay ‘Airbrushed from art history’ by Jonathan Evens an Anglican priest on the website http://www.modernreligiousart.com
in ‘essays and words’. This among other things points to the large amount of established contemporary and modern art which has been motivated by christain/ religious theames. Its just that in many ways, as the essay points out this aspect of modern art is ignored or played down by the ‘art world’ .
So the work is there, it’s just that in many cases the Christian religious aspect of the work is not recognized or even deliberately ignored, because it does not fit into current art historical and theoretical ideas about the development of modern art.
What is interesting is that many Christian miss this as well, and feel that a Christian vision is excluded. Well its not excluded it’s just not always recognized as being there.
I do think that much of the so called ‘Christian Art’ is confusing the situation, much of this stuff is poor illustration, it is literal , dogmatic and lacking in the multi layers of meaning and possible interpretation that is required of a work of a work art, so that it can live and breath.
A religious art cannot just be a illustration of a gospel saying or story, just as a living Christian is not an illustration of his/her faith but is a living breathing, struggling, failing, being. A real work of art is more like this.
Surly Christians want an art that deals with the reality of being a Christian now, in the 21centuary. One that makes them think about there own faith seriously and not indulge them in a self satisfaction.
If I were a Christian I would be very concerned about the sort of art many Christians now feel represents them. Because we do get the art we deserve.
But I am at heart optimistic, this is because I think the real thing is out there, it’s just not out there clapping its hands, it’s keeping its distance, its independence. Truth is a precious thing easily lost, and can be distorted by association.
No, there’s no conspiracy, there’s just an awful lot of embarrassingly bad Christian art about, or rather, a colossal amount of bad art about and a great deal of it is Christian. We Christians cannot expect a suspension of critical evaluation just because of our faith. If anything, we have to try even harder and be even subtler in order to overcome prejudice. Velazquez, Rembrandt, Caravaggio are masters because they are very good painters.
It would help a lot if Christian artists started to engage with what’s happening in the contemporary art world. Its not that you have to like it all, but you cannot pretend its not happened. All artists look to the past to some extent but we cannot pretend it’s where we live, which is exactly what many Christian artists do.